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With Disney's Moana 2 arriving in theaters, it joins the rising list of animated sequels to critically acclaimed Disney movies. Since the 1990s, Disney has released several animated sequels to some of their most popular movies, which have reached varying degrees of success with critics and viewers. While there were some Disney sequels that received a theatrical release, between the 1990s and 2010s, the majority of animated sequels were released direct-to-dvd.

There are several Disney direct-to-dvd movies that serve as midquels or prequels to classic stories, including Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. While these midquel movies fill in the gaps in the originals' stories, Disney also released many movies that continued on from where the original movie ended. But while Disney's catalog of animated sequels allows iconic characters to experience a new adventure, not every sequel has been met with a warm reception from audiences.

Disney Junior's Ariel introduces new characters while still including favorites like King Triton and Ursula. Executive producer Lynne Southerland discusses the series' approach to Ariel's character growth and storytelling. Ursula is a friend to Ariel in this series to engage a young audience, with attention to detail in animation.

Disney Junior's Ariel premieres on the network on June 27 and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+. The animated series centers around an eight-year-old version of the mermaid (played by Mykal-Michelle Harris of Raven's Home) and introduces new characters, Lucia and Fernie, while still including old favorites such as King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian, and Flounder. Ariel takes place in the Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica and features original music for families of all ages to sing along with.

Lynne Southerland, who serves as executive producer of the Disney Junior animated show, states that the eight-year-old mermaid is...

The characters you know and love from “The Little Mermaid” are transforming for a preschool audience.

Disney Jr.’s “Ariel” — which is set to premiere on June 27, 2024 — is inspired from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale as well as Walt Disney’s 1989 animated movie and 2023 live-action feature film. Only this time around, the diverse underwater kingdom of Atlantica is the set piece, and kindness is key. At the TV show’s tastemaker screening on June 5 at NeueHouse Hollywood, the production team spoke about creating Ariel’s Caribbean-inspired surroundings for an audience of young children and families.

The program features the voice work of Mykal-Michelle Harris as Ariel, Taye Diggs as King Triton, Amber Riley as Ursula, Elizabeth Phoenix Caro as Lucia, Cruz Flateau as Fernie and Gracen Newton as Flounder.

Creative executive Diane Ikemiyashiro moderated the panel which included executive producer Lynne Southerland, art director Chrystin Garland, supervising director Kuni Tomita,...

Disney Branded Television announced today the premiere date for the animated musical series Disney Jr.’s Ariel, which was inspired by The Little Mermaid.

The series will debut on Thursday, June 27, on Disney Junior (9:00 a.m. Edt/Pdt) and air on Disney Channel later that day. An initial batch of eight episodes will be available on Disney+ the following day, Friday, June 28.

Additionally, new recurring cast members were announced, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Melissa Villaseñor, and Ron Funches.

To help build excitement for Disney Jr.’s Ariel, it was also announced that a new series of shorts titled Disney Jr.’s Ariel: Mermaid Tales will be featured across Disney+, Disney Channel, and Disney Junior beginning Wednesday, June 5. Each two-minute short will highlight a different aspect of Ariel’s life in Atlantica.

Set in the Caribbean-inspired fairytale kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows young mermaid princess Ariel (Mykal-Michelle Harris) as...

A new teaser trailer has been released for Ariel.

Coming to Disney Junior in Summer 2024, Ariel is a new animated series for children that reintroduces Ariel and her underwater friends and family. The series is notably based specifically on the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, which featured Halle Bailey playing Ariel. In the new teaser, a young Ariel can be seen attending a "magic camp" organized by Ursula. Typically depicted as a very villainous character, this Ursula is oddly presented as a lovable aunt, with the mermaid excitingly greeting the sea witch by saying, "Tante Ursula!" The new trailer can be viewed below.

Related This Disney+ Series With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Scores is Perfect for Animation Fans Iwj is a series that balances telling a great story while celebrating an equally great culture. But why is it perfect for fans of animation? Close

The series, per Disney Junior's official description,...

We’re getting the first look at Disney Junior’s Ariel, the upcoming animated musical series for preschoolers. The network today released the first trailer for the series, inspired by The Little Mermaid live-action movie.

Mykal-Michelle Harris stars in the title role, along with Taye Diggs and Amber Riley as King Triton and Ursula.

Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows a young Ariel and features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions like Ariel’s two best friends, mer-children Lucia and Fernie, and other adorable sea creatures.

Disney Junior’s Ariel is executive produced by Lynne Southerland.

Check out the trailer above.

Disney Junior has revealed the first look at the iconic characters Ursula and King Triton for the upcoming animated series, Ariel.

According to Billboard, Ariel is based on the beloved character from The Little Mermaid. This series will take audiences back to the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, portraying the mermaid adventures of young Ariel. Set as a prequel to the recent live-action film with Halle Bailey as Ariel, the animated series has cast some prominent names in its key roles. Taye Diggs, a veteran of stage and screen, will lend his voice to King Triton, while Glee's Amber Riley will voice the sea-witch nemesis, Ursula.

Related: Where To Find the Original Ariel's Cameo in The Little Mermaid

Diggs, who broke out in 1996 as part of the original cast of Rent and starred in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, is no stranger to voice acting, having previously...

There’s been a lot of buzz over at the Annecy Film Festival! With tons of projects premiered and announced, everyone is excited for the new animated content coming into the world. Disney, being a tentpole studio for the medium, had some major announcements of their own, particularly in their television roster! Let’s take a look!

Return Under The Sea With Disney Junior’s Ariel

Hot off the waves of the newly released live action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the studio is going to keep the ocean adventures coming on Disney Junior! The announcement was made earlier today by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. The new series will star a young Ariel, and will feature familiar faces such as King Triton, Sebastian, Flounder, and Ursula! Along with the fan-favorites, new characters will also debut with the series. Davis expressed excitement to return to the...

Disney Branded Television is developing a live-action spinoff based on The Little Mermaid.

Per Variety, fans learned that the live-action The Little Mermaid is receiving a spinoff set to air in 2024. Titled Disney Junior's Ariel, the president of Disney Branded Television, Ayo Davis, announced at the Annecy Film Festival. "For more than 30 years, the story of 'The Little Mermaid' has been beloved by audiences all over the world. It brings me so much joy to be able to introduce our new Disney Junior version of Ariel to preschoolers everywhere," Davis said.

Related: The Little Mermaid: IMDb Issues Warning on Potential Review Bombing

Disney's Junion Ariel Takes After Halle Bailey

Disney Junior's Ariel was described as "Full of charm, big ideas and a powerful voice," and will detail Ariel's journey of self-discovery. The series acts as a prequel to the live-action film with Halle Baily as Ariel. Produced by Wild Canary,...

Disney has given the green light to an animated series for preschoolers Disney Junior’s Ariel inspired by The Little Mermaid.

The new series follows a young Ariel and features some fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions. Disney Junior’s Ariel is set to debut on Disney platforms worldwide in 2024.

“For more than 30 years, the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’ has been beloved by audiences all over the world. It brings me so much joy to be able to introduce our new Disney Junior version of Ariel to preschoolers everywhere,” Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, said while making the announcement on Tuesday during the Annecy International Film Festival in Annecy, France.

Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series follows Ariel as she embarks on fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures with her friends. Driven by a deep...

Disney Branded Television and Disney Europe, Middle East and Africa (Emea) looks set to reveal a slew of new titles at France’s Annecy Animation Festival.

Apart from “Disney Junior’s Ariel,” a new series inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” pre-school adventure series “Magicampers” has also been greenlit.

Set at a day camp for magical creatures – its protagonists, Darly and Loomis, are half-pig and half-Pegasus, and half-donkey and half-unicorn – and created by Obie Scott Wade, it’s set to premiere globally on Disney+ and Disney Junior next year.

“We instantly fell in love with this ensemble of unique hybrid characters, who each combine something magical and something ordinary within themselves,” said Orion Ross, vice president of animation for The Walt Disney Company Emea.

“Their adventures in this lush fantastical world are wildly fun and also explore what it means to grow up and discover yourself.”

The announcement of “Magicampers” will...

Annecy — In what looks like one of the biggest announcements at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival, Disney Branded Television has greenlit a new animated series for preschoolers, “Disney Junior’s Ariel,” inspired by the hugely popular story of “The Little Mermaid.”

The announcement is set to be made today by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, during the Annecy Animation Festival, at a new project and sneak peak picked presentation across the upcoming slate of Disney Branded Television and Disney Emea titles.

The new series follows a young Ariel and features fan-favorite characters, including King Triton, Ursula, Sebastian and Flounder, as well as exciting new additions. “Disney Junior’s Ariel” is set to debut on Disney platforms worldwide in 2024.

Set in the fantastical Caribbean-inspired underwater kingdom of Atlantica, the series turns on Ariel and her fun-filled, action-packed mermaid adventures with her friends.

Driven by a deep and unending...

Kcet, the Los Angeles public broadcaster, announced the student finalists and eight industry judges who will take part of the 23rd Fine Cut Festival of Films. The festival will broadcast as a series of six one-hour episodes starting Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 10 p.m. on Kcet in Southern California and on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt on Link TV nationwide.

In addition to the student films making their broadcast debut, all winners will have their short films screened as part of a student showcase at the 2022 Newport Beach Film Festival on Oct. 20. Three winners in the categories of Documentary, Animation and Narrative short films will receive a variety of prize packages valued to be over 30,000, and the Jack Larson Southern California Student Filmmaker Award will recognize one student winner’s strength as a storyteller.

An industry panel of eight esteemed experts determined the finalists and winners, including director and producer Lynne Southerland,...

Exclusive: Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is partnering with Nairobi-based media and tech startup Kukua in support of their franchise Super Sema, a new YouTube Originals kids and family program. Super Sema marks Africa’s first kid superhero animated series and will debut the first eight episodes on March 8, International Women’s Day. The remaining 12 episodes will be released throughout March and April.

Nyong’o not only serves as an Executive Producer of Super Sema, but as a shareholder in Kukua, the startup founded in 2015 by Lucrezia Bisignani, who serves as CEO. In addition, Nyong’o will voice a character on the series.

Fueled by Steam superpowers, Super Sema follows the adventures of the titular extraordinary young African girl, Sema, who lives in the neo-African-futuristic community of Dunia.

“I share Kukua’s goal to empower children through inspiring stories that feature characters in which the children see themselves reflected.

Exclusive: We’re still six weeks from the start of the America Film Market, but so far there are 32 films from female directors that will be screened, sold or premiering at the market. Only four of those films — or 13% — were produced in the U.S.: Lynne Southerland's Cinderella and The Secret Prince, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s Becks, Rebecca Addelman’s Paper Year and Tali Shalom-Ezer’s My Days of Mercy. The Lili Fini Zanuck-helmed Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars also is…...

Full service 3D animation facility Gold Valley Films has brought on the industry veteran to run its new sales outfit and kicks off Afm with Cinderella 3D.

As president of the new company, Veneziano will oversee worldwide sales, acquisitions, distribution and marketing from Los Angeles.

Lynne Southerland directs the $20m Cinderella 3D from Francis Glebas’s adapted screenplay based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

The story follows the heroine as she sets out to rescue the Prince from the Wicked Witch. Victoria Ying is overseeing visual development and the film is expected to be complete by May 2017.

“This venture is an exciting opportunity to work with some of the best in the animation business,” said Veneziano.

The sales slate includes Gold Valley Films productions Snow White: The New Adventure, The Little Mermaid: Attack Of The Pirates, and Toy’s War.

Prior to Gold Valley Film International, Veneziano served as president at International Film Trust, [link...

Hong Kong-based CG-animation company Imagi Studios is ramping up its executive roster with, among others, the hiring of Cecil Kramer, former co-head of production at DreamWorks Animation.

The announcement Monday from company founder and CEO Francis Kao and co-CEO Douglas Glen came just days ahead of the release of its first major movie, "TMNT", an animated update of the hit "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise.

Kramer joins Imagi as executive vp production, responsible for developing and producing a slate of high-end CG-animated features.

Maryann Garger and Lynne Southerland are on board as producers, while Mark Tarbox comes in as line producer, all reporting to Kramer, and all based in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

" 'TMNT' marks a new breed of CG animation -- big action films for people who love video games and superheroes," Kao said in making the announcement. "As we expand the capacity of our production pipeline in Hong Kong to make more of these movies, we're expanding our world-class creative team in Los Angeles."

"Starting with the release of (upcoming) 'Gatchaman, ' we'll be delivering about one movie every eight months," Glen said.